1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the systems and methods described herein relate to cues for encouraging computer users to perform tasks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer and Internet-based advertising allow advertisers to target consumers in new ways not possible using traditional print or TV-based advertising. For example, Internet advertisers can collect consumers' preferences and Internet-viewing histories and can use this information to more accurately target advertisements. This accuracy benefits both consumers and advertisers. Consumers receive advertisements that are more relevant and useful to them. This, in turn, causes consumers to respond more often to an advertisement by making a purchase, thereby increasing the value of the advertisement to an advertiser.
Computer and Internet-based advertising, however, have many of the problems associated with more traditional advertising. As with other forms of advertising, only a small group of people respond to or even view computer or Internet-based advertising. Further, while computer and Internet-based advertisers can find out more information about particular users prior to placing advertisements, they do not have a complete picture of the users and their interests. Thus, computer and Internet-based advertising can be improved still further.
One challenge that computer and Internet-based advertisers face is that user interests change rapidly, making it difficult for an advertiser to reach a potential customer at the right time. For example, a user in a given demographic group may be targeted with pop-up advertisements for a new computer game based upon membership in that demographic group. However, if the viewer is using the Internet for some purpose unrelated to gaming, such as work, it is likely that the viewer is not interested in purchasing the computer game at the moment. If that viewer were to see the same advertisement at a different time, the likelihood that the viewer would buy the computer game may increase. Similarly, a discount travel advertisement might be less effective if a viewer is not already planning a vacation.
Another challenge is that a viewer's interest in a particular subject may not be obvious. For example, a viewer visiting a news website may be doing so not because he or she is typically interested in that website or matches the target demographic, but because of interest in a particular, possibly minor, element of a particular story. Because the viewer's interest is not obvious, the viewer may be presented with a number of advertisements unrelated to his or her interests.
Another challenge is that viewers tend to ignore advertisements. Ineffective targeting of advertisements increases this tendency among viewers because viewers may assume that most advertisements are not interesting or relevant to them. The typical Internet user is bombarded with extraneous information in the form of pop-up or banner ads. As a result, these users learn that information displayed at certain locations on a webpage or on a computer screen are typically advertisements, and their visual focus is not attracted to those areas. Instead of paying attention to these advertisements, Internet users tend to frequent a few familiar websites in which they know where the main content is located. From an advertiser's perspective, this means that even though many people may be visiting a webpage containing their advertisement, few are actually viewing the advertisement in a way that allows them to recognize the product or services offered. This may be true even where the advertisement contains flashing or moving images designed to grab attention.
Advertisers have attempted to counteract viewers' tendency to ignore advertisements in various ways. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,210 titled “Attention Brokerage” discusses a method for providing compensation to a user when that user decides to load an advertisement. U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,524 titled “System and Method for Encouraging Viewers to Watch Television Programs” discusses a method that seeks to reward viewers for paying attention to television advertisements. However, the foregoing systems do not adequately target the user's immediate interests and encourage them to view and respond to advertisements.
A need now exists for systems and methods that provide useful information to network users in a way that attracts their attention and increases the likelihood that they will purchase a product.